Jérémy Doku is back. Belgium's most direct attacker returns to the squad for the decisive Nations League double-header against Turkey and Italy — and Mark van Bommel's side have missed exactly what he brings.
Van Bommel named a 26-man squad on Friday, November 6, with the Manchester City winger the headline return, as detailed in SoccerNews' squad report. Doku last played for Belgium at the World Cup, where the Red Devils' run ended in a quarter-final defeat to Spain. He missed the September and October Nations League games — reports cited a calf injury and illness across that absence — but he is back playing for City, with one goal and one assist in nine appearances this season.
Belgium need him. They sit third in Group A1 on six points from four games, behind Italy and France — the same group our profile of France call-up Pablo Pagis covers from the other side. The run-in is unforgiving: Turkey away in Izmir on Thursday, November 12, then Italy at home in Brussels on November 15. The Reuters-syndicated account in BytesEU's squad report confirms the fixtures and Belgium's six-point haul.
Directness Belgium Cannot Buy Elsewhere
Belgium's attack around Doku is a fascinating mix of the established and the emerging. The official squad listings tell their own story of a squad in transition: Romelu Lukaku now of Fenerbahçe, Leandro Trossard of Beşiktaş, Charles De Ketelaere at Atalanta, Dodi Lukebakio at Benfica, Diego Moreira at AC Milan, Mika Godts at Paris Saint-Germain and Hugo Cuypers, called up from Monterrey. Behind them sit Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans and Roméo Lavia, with Chelsea's Mike Penders among the goalkeepers — an international-break storyline we follow closely, much like the injury doubts in our Szoboszlai report. Genk defender Josué Kongolo earns a first senior call-up, while Thibaut Courtois remains absent.
What none of those forwards does like Doku is commit a full-back one-v-one, relentlessly, on either foot. Against a low block in Izmir or an Italian side protecting a lead in Brussels, that chaos is a tactical plan in itself — it drags defences out of shape and creates the second-phase chances De Bruyne and Tielemans feed on.
So What Does It Mean?
Third place with two games left leaves Belgium no margin: drop points in Turkey and the Italy game may not matter; win both and the quarter-finals are alive. Doku's fitness will be managed — Van Bommel will not get 180 minutes from him — but even 60 decisive minutes across the two games changes how both opponents defend. Belgium's golden generation is giving way to a new one; Doku, at 24, is the bridge between them.
Beyond the Final Whistle verdict: Belgium without Doku are neat, patient and too easy to defend. With him, they are a team no full-back in Europe wants to face. If he is fit enough to start in Izmir, Belgium's Nations League campaign is alive again.
Should Doku start both games, or be saved for Italy in Brussels? Tell us in the comments.
